Saturday is National Drug Take Back Day

Police agencies open their doors this weekend to accept what they hope will be an avalanche of expired pills, cough syrup, cold pills, and other unwanted medication.

The 7th annual National Drug Take Back Day - a partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration, aims to put a dent in the potential supply of pills that might otherwise fall into the wrong hands -- and sometimes make a homeowner a target for burglary.

"It's a large challenge for us in this region of the country," said Jeffrey Boobar, of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Burlington. "The prescription drug problem has led to a large increase in the heroin problem we've seen here in VT and in New England because a lot of opiates people have gotten addicted to - they've now changed over to heroin. They're linked."

Dozens of police departments across the region will accept medications, no questions asked, this Saturday, Oct. 26 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.